A Glimpse of My Journey (by Jonalyn)

(This story was meant to be completed before our Thailand wedding on February 9--but you can find more wedding photos on Facebook or here on Hannah Powell's blog.)

Moei river, looking into Burma

It’s Sabbath afternoon, the time often spent hiking and enjoying the beautiful mountain near the school. There are at least 50 wild caves you can explore and spectacular viewpoints where you can see across into Burma. 

Today though, my dear Erick has to bring a student who broke his arm to the hospital. Erick’s been busy the whole week, from working with patients to moving all his stuff to our “new” home (I’ve lived here for a year but it feels so different now that I have a housemate, so, yeah it’s my new home too J ).
It’s unusually quiet in our little bamboo house today… so it’s a chance to sit down and reflect… why am I in this foreign land?

Erick and I with my parents in December

I grew up in a small village in the Philippines, where the thought of working for other people without being paid is an irony. Ever since I was 14, I had always wanted to be a missionary, but I honestly did not see it happening. I was born in a family where the common profession is teacher—kind of scary sometimes when your aunt is your class teacher, you get extra scolding. My father is a school principal and my mom is a full time housewife. I decided “I’m going to be different;” I would not take Education, as what many had suggested. Come college, I took Accountancy.

Later, I got my CPA license and practiced Accounting for nearly 3 years in the Philippines before God led me to work in Brunei for almost a year.  Never did I think that going out of the country was His way to fulfill my heart’s desire. It was in Brunei that I read most parts of the Bible, that my heart felt the thirst to study more about God. In that Muslim country, I met two SDA missionaries, Davis and Riina Lim, who invited me to join their team, knowing that I was not SDA.

Mission trip in the Philippines with Davis and Riina (far left)

After much prayer and counseling, communicating with my family and informing them that I won’t be able to send money home for who-knows-how-long (my parents were disappointed, nevertheless, they gave me their blessings), quitting my job and giving all to God, I joined the missionary team. I prepared myself for the worst; I’d read the journeys of the apostle Paul. My decision includes putting God to test… I’d asked Him to send me, I didn’t have anything except myself, no bank account, no credit card, only few hundred Brunei dollars I’ve saved and proceeds from selling my laptop. I was confident that God will provide for my needs. As my Boss He surely will give me much more and oh, I wonder what will be the bonus…

Our first destination was in the Philippines. Our itinerary was almost a month. First week, observing Davis with Literature Evangelism. I got myself familiar with the common SDA books. I’d read few but enough to convince me they are to be distributed to help people draw close to Jesus. Isn’t that what my missionary goal is? It was also interesting to learn that many books in my parent’s house were actually from SDA publications. So I helped sell the books—one of my favorite was Roger Morneau’s ‘A Trip to Supernatural’. 

Our group in SDA-Muslim relations

The next two weeks was a short training about Adventist-Muslim Relations in the southern part of the country. It is a place where you can hear gunshots day and night (gladly it was not that much during our stay). Place of terror. I believe it was the Holy Spirit making me calm and assuring my safety, or else I would not dare step in a bus when bombing one is like lighting a firework on New Year’s Eve.

It was also during that training that God opened an opportunity for me to study more about Adventism. I believe it was God’s ordeal that a pastor was there to study Bible with me and help me find answers. Every afternoon we would to go each topic that eventually leads to keeping the true Sabbath… It was like cold water poured over me. What have I been doing? I was troubled that I had not known these things before. Acts 17:30 comforted me and I prayed and repented for not putting time to study my Bible well--thus my ignorance to God’s law.

After the training, our little team went back to Malaysia, and many times to Brunei to sell Christian books. Both are Muslim countries, but Brunei is stricter. You will be imprisoned if you are caught giving/selling Christian books. Malaysia is more liberated, but still outreach to Muslim people is a challenge. The first 6 months after I had quit my job, I did the most travelling of my life so far. Partly because I had to go from one country to another every 30 days, sometimes 14 days depending on which country. This is because I’ve been on tourist visas, even here until now (we are currently trying to get better visa). 

During that time, I met and lived with some church members, visited mission schools, health centers, publishing house, and attended different SDA churches, earned new family and friends to keep. I got acquainted with SDA culture: conservatives and liberals, and those in between. Some were a challenge to my faith and some were inspirations. I also had the opportunity to learn more about the health message with an SDA Family in Kuantan (Pahang, Malaysia). They have a health clinic, kindergarten school, and a vegetarian restaurant where I apprenticed for two weeks. They minister to Chinese Buddhists.

By that time I adapted the vegetarian diet, not because I was with vegetarians but because I was convinced of the benefit you get from it.

During my baptism at KK English Church

On the third month of being a missionary I attended an evangelistic series by a visiting pastor (Alden Ho).  December 14, 2013,a beautiful day in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, I was baptized  as an SDA by the local pastor. It was a day when everything looks so pretty… the mountain behind the church, the green grass, the flowers, it was drizzling and it everywhere looks like sparkling crystals. I wanted to hug the people around me, and tell them that Jesus loves them too.

After almost 6 months of working together, my teammates needed to settle down as Riina was nearing her due date to give birth. So we started praying to where God is leading us next… I prayed for a missionary field where I can be of most use and can learn more about medical missionary… or perhaps if God is willing, I could go to some missionary schools. It was a blessing that Davis met the Adams’ in Aenon and he learned that they direct a learning center on the Thailand/Burma border. We prayed about it, planned to visit and see if God is leading us to another ministry. After receiving an invitation to visit and see if Sunshine Orchard is a place I we would like to be, we had our bags packed for a short visit. It didn’t turn out a short visit for me. The moment I opened the door in the hut where we slept that cold night, I saw how beautiful and peaceful the place is… far different from the busy cities we have been travelling for months. I would learn later on about more reasons why God sent me here, in His perfect time.

Me with our Burma mission team from SO

My next challenge was where will be my next source of income? Sure, I had some books left to sell, but to whom should I sell the English books? I didn’t see a good market in Thailand…but somehow I was able to sell some children’s books before my last money was gone. Then just when I thought there’s no more left, and maybe I should use my return ticket back to the Philippines (thinking it’s a sign that I should go join a missionary group in the South that ministers to Muslims, which I would really love to do), a group of missionaries who were at SO learned that I hoped to be in a medical missionary training. They offered to pay for my fees for a local training! And another committed to pay for my living expenses for a year! “Father, forgive me for having such small faith…”  The best thing was I could also teach in the school here while learning many new things. 

Me (left-center) with my grade 9 and 10 classes

To shorten the long story, I am currently teaching grade 9 and 10 classes as a volunteer here at Sunshine Orchard. Thanks to my dark skin I was able to hike into Burma for a medical mission. My experiences helped strengthen my faith, unlearn things that the world taught me, live a simple life, working close to God surrounded by people who love and put Jesus first. I also met my significant other half (the story you read in our other blogs). <3

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

At our Karen-style wedding at Sunshine Orchard, Thailand